Motor brush holders



July 4, 1967 R. HAPPE 3,329,844

MOTOR BRUSH HOLDERS Filed April 12, 1965 INVENTOR. WITNESS Reynold Happe QRN United States Patent 3,329,844 MOTOR BRUSH HOLDERS Reynold Happe, Whippany, N.J., assignor to The Singer Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Apr. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 447,501 9 Claims. (Cl. 310-239) This invention relates to electric motors and more particularly to an improved carbon brush holder assembly designed to become part of an electric motor.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved support structure for a brush holder and brush in the end bell of an electric motor,

Another object of this invention is to provide a brush holder assembly the improved construction of which facilitates removal or installation of the brush.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a brush holder assembly the improved design of which reduces the complexity of the elements utilized, thereby reducing the cost of manufacture.

Having in mind the above and other objects that will be evident from an understanding of this disclosure, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts as illustrated in the presently preferred embodiment of the invention which is hereinafter set forth in such detail as to enable those skilled in the are readily to understand the function, operation, construction and advantages of it when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational end view, partially broken away, of an electric motor equipped with an end bell and a brush holder assembly embodying the present invention,

FIG. 2 is an end view of the brush holder assembly of the present invention, and

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the brush holder assembly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings, wherein similar reference numerals identify corresponding parts throughout the several views, represents a brush holder assembly, substantially as shown.

Reference to FIG. 3 reveals a metallic brush tube which receives a carbon brush 12, a pigtail 14 electrically connected at one end to the brush 12 and at the other end to a metallic clip 16 and a helical compression spring 18 which surrounds the pigtail 14, all of which are well known in the art. The brush tube 20 has formed integral therewith a conventional lug 22 extending outwardly from one side thereof, and an electrical lead 26 (FIG. 1) is connected to the lug 22.

A substantially cylindrical brush holder 28 constructed of an electrically insulating material, such as plastic, includes a recess 30 adapted to receive the tube 20 through an opening 32 in an end face 34 of the holder. The brush holder 28 has integrally formed therewith two parallel pairs of approximately triangularly shaped transverselyextending lugs 36 and 38, which project from the cylindrical surface 40 of the holder. The lugs 36 project from opposite sides of the cylindrical surface 40 with a plane surface face 42 of the lugs facing downwardly, as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3. The other pair of lugs 38 also project from opposite sides of the surface 40 with a plane surface face 44 facing downwardly. The pairs of lugs 36 and 38 are spaced axially of the brush holder 28. Between the spaced pairs of lugs 36 and 38 a slot 46 is formed in the surface 40 of the brush holder 28, leaving a flat portion 48 which lies in a plane parallel to that containing the flat faces 42 and 44 of the lugs 36 and 38 respectively.

A metallic brush-supporting end bell 50, including a circular rim 52, is secured to the stator frame of an ice electric motor 54 by screws 56 (FIG. 1), similar to that shown in United States application No. 15,960 filed Mar. 18, 1960, now Patent No. 3,177,388, by Albert Norman Cook. Integrally formed with the rim 52 is a truncated V-shaped seat 58 which extends radially of the rim. The seat 58 is formed with a pair of'upwardly divergent walls 60 and 62 (FIGS. 2 and 3) with the truncated portion forming a horizontal floor 64. The top free end of the wall 62 has formed integrally therewith a pair of parallel ears 66 spaced from each other and extending outwardly of the seat 58 parallel with floor 64 thereof. Similarly the top free end of the wall 60 has formed integrally therewith a pair of parallel ears 68 spaced from each other and extending outwardly of the seat 58 parallel with the floor 64 but in a direction opposite to that of ears 66. The spaced ears 66 define a slot 70 and the spaced ears 68 define a similar slot 72. Also the spaced ears provide upfacing (FIG. 2) plane surfaces.

A snap-on spring retainer 74 includes a concave roof portion 76, a leg 78 depending from each end of the roof portion 76 at substantially right angles thereto and an elongated foot secured to the free end of each leg 78 and extending transversely of the leg. Each foot 80 is longer than the leg 78 is wide thereby forming extensions 82 and 84, one on each side of the leg.

To assemble the brush holder assembly 10 the brush 12, pigtail 14, spring 18 and clip 16 are clipped into the brush tube 20 and the tube 20 in turn is slipped into the recess 30 of the holder 28 through the opening 32. The holder 28 is then positioned on the seat 58 with the open end of the holder facing radially inwardly of the end bell 50 and the fiat faces 42 and 44 of the lugs 36 and 38, respectively, engaging the upper surfaces (FIGS. 2 and 3) of the corresponding ears 66 and 68 of the seat 58. The next and final step merely requires slipping the snap-on spring retainer 74 over the assembled elements thereby securing them in the seat.

The snap-on spring retainer 74 is attached by grasping the legs of the retainer with the thumb and index finger, placing the open end of the retainer on the holder 28 with the roof 76 above the slot 46 and the feet 80 resting on the sloping sides of the lugs 36 and 38 and then pressing the retainer towards the holder. As the retainer is pressed towards the holder, the legs 78 bend outwardly and the feet 80 slide down the sloping sides of the lugs, then over the tip of the lugs and finally underneath the ears 66 and 68, with the legs 78 fitting in the slots 70 and 72 between the ears 66 and 68 and the concave roof portion 76 pressing downwardlyon the surface of flat portion 48 in the slot 46. The cylindrical surface 40 of the holder 28 is now seated on the inner surface of the diverging walls 60 and 62 thereby centering and leveling the holder in the seat 58. In this position, the brush holder 28 is locked against the seat 58 and cannot move endwise relatively to the seat because the legs 78, which are lodged between lugs 36 and 38 of the holder, are captured by the ears 66 and 68 of the seat 58. Furthermore, rotary movement of the holder 28 in the seat 58 is prevented by the abutment of the faces 42 and 44 with the cars 66 and 68.

Numerous alterations of the structure herein disclosed Will suggest themselves to those skilled in the alt. However, it is to be understood that the present disclosure relates to a preferred embodiment of my invention which is for the purpose of illustration and is not to be construed as a limitation of the invention. All such modifi cations which do not depart from the spirit of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

1. A brush holder assembly comprising in combination an end bell of an electric motor, and an insulating brush holder mounted on said end bell; said end bell having a seat for supporting said brush holder and said seat having at least one set of oppositely extending cars, a snap-on retainer equipped with a roof portion for engaging the upper surface of said brush holder, and extensions formed on opposite ends of said snap-on retainer, said extensions being adapted to engage said ears thereby to cause said snap-on retainer to hold said brush holder in said seat.

2. A brush holder assembly comprising in combination an end bell of an electric motor, and an insulating brush holder mounted on said end bell; said end bell having a seat for supporting said brush holder and said said having four ears, one located on each corner of said seat, a snapon retainer equipped with a roof portion for engaging the upper surface of said brush holder, and a pair of extensions formed on each end of said snap-on retainer, said extensions being adapted to engage said ears thereby to cause said snap-on retainer to hold said brush holder in said seat.

3. A brush holder assembly comprising in combination an end bell of an electric motor, and an insulating brush holder mounted on said end bell; said end bell having a seat for supporting said brush holder and said seat having at least one set of oppositely extending ears and each of said ears being formed with a plane surface, transversely extending lugs formed on said brush holder, a snap-on retainer equipped with a roof portion for engaging the upper surface of said brush holder, and extensions formed on the opposite ends of said snap-on retainer, said extensions being adapted to engage said ears thereby to cause said sna -on retainer to hold said brush holder in said seat, and said lugs engaging the plane surfaces on said ears thereby to prevent said brush holder from turning in said seat.

4. A brush holder assembly comprising in combination an end bell of an electric motor, and an insulating brush holder mounted on said end bell; said end bell having a seat for supporting said brush holder, transversely extending lugs formed on said brush holder, surfaces formed on said seat, said lugs engaging said surfaces thereby to prevent said brush holder from turning in said seat, and a snap-on retainer removably attached to said brush holder and said seat thereby to secure said brush holder to said seat.

5. A brush holder assembly comprising in combination an end bell of an electric motor and an insulating brush holder mounted on said end bell; said end bell having a seat for supporting said brush holder, said seat having at least one set of oppositely extending ears, transversely extending lugs formed on said brush holder, a snap-on retainer equipped with a roof portion for engaging the upper surface of said brush holder, and extensions formed on opposite ends of said snap-on retainer, said extensions being adapted to engage said ears thereby to cause said snap-on retainer to hold said brush holder in said seat.

6. A brush holder assembly comprising in combination a frame of an electric motor, an end bell mounted on said frame, and an insulating brush holder mounted on said end bell; said end bell having a seat for supporting said brush holder and said seat having four ears, one located on each corner of said seat, two pairs of transversely extending lugs formed on said brush holder, said lugs being adapted to contact said ears, and a snap-on retainer removably mounted on said brush holder and said seat.

7, A brush holder assembly comprising in combination a frame of an electric motor, an end bell mounted on said frame, said end bell including an annular rim, and an insulating brush holder mounted on said annular rim; a seat for supporting said brush holder formed on said annular rim and extending radially of said rim, said seat having at least one set of oppositely extending ears, transversely extending lugs formed on said brush holder, said ears and said lugs having plane surfaces, said plane surfaces of said ears being adapted to contact said plane surfaces of said lugs in contiguous relationship thereby preventing said brush holder from turning in said seat, a clamp mounted on said brush holder and said seat and adapted to secure said brush holder to said seat and prevent movement of said brush holder relatively to said seat radially of said rim.

8. A brush holder assembly comprising in combination an end bell of an electric motor, said end bell having an annular rim, and an insulating brush holder mounted on said annular rim; a seat for supporting said brush holder formed on said annular rim and extending radially of said rim, said seat having at least one set of oppositely extending ears, transversely extending lugs formed on said brush holder, said ears and said lugs having plane surfaces, said plane surfaces of said lugs being adapted to contact said plane surfaces of said ears in contiguous face-to-face relationship thereby preventing said brush holder from turning in said seat, a snap-on retainer equipped with a roof portion for engaging the upper surface of said brush holder, and extensions formed on opposite ends of said snap-on retainer, said extrusions being adapted to engage said ears thereby to secure said brush holder to said seat and prevent movement of said brush holder relatively to said seat radially of said rim.

9. A brush holder assembly comprising in combination an end bell of an electric motor, said end bell including an annular rim, and an insulating brush holder mounted on said annular rim; a seat for supporting said brush holder formed on said annular rim and extending radially of said rim, said seat including a pair of divergent walls and the free ends of said walls including two pairs of oppositely extending ears, the ears on each wall defining a slot therebetween, said insulating brush holder having formed thereon two axially spaced pairs of transversely extending lugs, said lugs and said ears having plane surfaces, said plane surfaces of said ears being adapted to contact said plane surfaces of said lugs in contiguous relationship thereby preventing said brush holder from turning in said seat, a snap-on retainer equipped with a roof portion for engaging the upper surface of said brush holder between said pairs of transversely extending lugs, and a leg depending from each end of said roof portion, each of said legs having a foot formed at the free end thereof, said legs extending between said pairs of ears and between said pairs of lugs and said feet clamped against the underside of said ears, thereby preventing said brush holder from moving in said seat radially of said annular rim.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,211,006 8/1940 Doughman 310-247 3,112,419 11/1963 Dobslaw 310-239 3,162,782 12/1964 Downs 310-239 X 3,177,388 4/1965 Cook 310-247 3,271,605 9/1966 Drabik 3l0-239 MILTON O. HIRSHFIELD, Primary Examiner.

D. F. DUGGAN, Assistant Examiner. 

9. A BRUSH HOLDER ASSEMBLY COMPRISING IN COMBINATION AN END BELL OF AN ELECTRIC MOTOR, SAID END BELL INCLUDING AN ANNULAR RIM, AND AN INSULATING BRUSH HOLDER MOUNTED ON SAID ANNULAR RIM; A SEAT FOR SUPPORTING SAID BRUSH HOLDER FORMED ON SAID ANNULAR RIM AND EXTENDING RADIALLY OF SAID RIM, SAID SEAT INCLUDING A PAIR OF DIVERGENT WALLS AND THE FREE ENDS OF SAID WALLS INCLUDING TWO PAIRS OF OPPOSITELY EXTENDING EARS, THE EARS ON EACH WALL DEFINING A SLOT THEREBETWEEN, SAID INSULATING BRUSH HOLDER HAVING FORMED THEREON TWO AXIALLY SPACED PAIRS OF TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING LUGS, SAID LUGS AND SAID EARS HAVING PLANE SURFACES, SAID PLANE SURFACES OF SAID EARS BEING ADAPTED TO CONTACT SAID PLANE SURFACES OF SAID LUGS IN CONTIGUOUS RELATIONSHIP THEREBY PREVENTING SAID BRUSH HOLDER FROM TURNING IN SAID SEAT, A SNAP-ON RETAINER EQUIPPED WITH A ROOF PORTION FOR ENGAGING THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID BRUSH HOLDER BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING LUGS, AND A LEG DEPENDING FROM EACH END OF SAID ROOF PORTION, EACH OF SAID LEGS HAVING A FOOT FORMED AT THE FREE END THEREOF, SAID LEGS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF EARS AND BETWEEN SAID PAIRS OF LUGS AND SAID FEET CLAMPED AGAINST THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID EARS, THEREBY PREVENTING SAID BRUSH HOLDER FROM MOVING IN SAID SEAT RADIALLY OF SAID ANNULAR RIM. 